• Molecular virology
• Virus-host interaction
• Innate antiviral response
• Novel vaccine and adjuvant development

Infectious diseases are responsible for a significant portion of global deaths, and viruses play a major role in this. Over the past two decades, viruses like influenza viruses, coronaviruses and flaviviruses have emerged and re-emerged, posing significant threats to public health worldwide. Viruses are obligate intracellular parasites that depend on host cells to replicate. To succeed in this mission, pathogenic viruses have developed various strategies to defeat our sophisticated immune system. This leads to constant molecular arm race between the virus and host, ultimately deciding the disease outcome. Dr Ye’s laboratory is dedicated to study the host innate antiviral response triggered by various viruses. We are particularly interested in uncovering the factors that influence viral infection and pathogenesis. Building upon our findings on SARS-CoV-2, we are developing novel live attenuated vaccines by removing certain viral components or inserting built-in adjuvants into the SARS-CoV-2/influenza recombinant clones. We are also developing effective antivirals that target virus-host interaction. Our goal is to gain new knowledge that can guide disease diagnosis, prevention and control.

1. Yuan S, Ye ZW (co-first author), Liang R, Tang K, Zhang AJ, Lu G, Ong CP, Man Poon VK, Chan CC, Mok BW, Qin Z, Xie Y, Chu AW, Chan WM, Ip JD, Sun H, Tsang JO, Yuen TT, Chik KK, Chan CC, Cai JP, Luo C, Lu L, Yip CC, Chu H, To KK, Chen H, Jin DY, Yuen KY, Chan JF. Pathogenicity, transmissibility, and fitness of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron in Syrian hamsters. Science. 2022, doi: 10.1126/science.abn8939.
2. Ye ZW, Ong CP, Tang K, Fan Y, Luo C, Zhou R, Luo P, Cheng Y, Gray VS, Wang P, Chu H, Chan JF, To KK, Chen H, Chen Z, Yuen KY, Ling GS, Yuan S, Jin DY. Intranasal administration of a single dose of a candidate live attenuated vaccine derived from an NSP16-deficient SARS-CoV-2 confers sterilizing immunity in animals. Cellular Molecular & Immunology. 2022, doi: 10.1038/s41423-022-00855-4.
3. Ye ZW, Yuan S, Chan JF, Zhang AJ, Yu CY, Ong CP, Yang D, Chan CC, Tang K, Cao J, Poon VK, Chan CC, Cai JP, Chu H, Yuen KY, Jin DY. Beneficial effect of combinational methylprednisolone and remdesivir in hamster model of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Emerging Microbes & Infections, 2021, doi: 10.1080/22221751.2021.1885998. 
4. Ye ZW, Fan Y, Tang K, Ong CP, Luo C, Chung HL, Leong TL, Liang R, Lui WY, Zhou R, Cheng Y, Lu L, Cheung PH, Chan JF, Chen Z, Yuen KY, Yuan S, To KK, Jin DY. Cross-variant protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection in hamsters immunized with monovalent and bivalent inactivated vaccines. International Journal of Biological Sciences. 2022, doi: 10.7150/ijbs.72109. 
5. Ong CP, Tang K, Cheung PHH, Zhang H, Tang TT, Xue Y, Wang J, To KK, Yuan S, Ye ZW (co-corresponding author), Jin DY. Monovalent vaccination with inactivated SARS-CoV-2 BA.5 protects hamsters against Omicron but not non-Omicron variants. NPJ Vaccines. 2023, doi: 10.1038/s41541-023-00776-x. 
6. Ruan D, Ye ZW (co-first author), Yuan S, Li Z, Zhang W, Ong CP, Tang K, Ka Ki Tam TT, Guo J, Xuan Y, Huang Y, Zhang Q, Lee CL, Lu L, Chiu PCN, Yeung WSB, Liu F, Jin DY, Liu P.  Human early syncytiotrophoblasts are highly susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Cell Reports Medicine. 2022, doi: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2022.100849.
7. Li M, Ye ZW (co-first author), Tang K, Guo L, Bi W, Zhang Y, Tang YD, Rong G, Sawan M, Yin X, Sun R, Yuan S, Dang B. Enhanced trimeric ACE2 exhibits potent prophylactic and therapeutic efficacy against the SARS-CoV-2 Delta and Omicron variants in vivo. Cell Research, 2022, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41422-022-00656-4
8. Yuan S, Yin X, Meng X, Chan JF, Ye ZW (co-first author), Riva L, Pache L, Chan CC, Lai PM, Chan CC, Poon VK, Lee AC, Matsunaga N, Pu Y, Yuen CK, Cao J, Liang R, Tang K, Sheng L, Du Y, Xu W, Lau CY, Sit KY, Au WK, Wang R, Zhang YY, Tang YD, Clausen TM, Pihl J, Oh J, Sze KH, Zhang AJ, Chu H, Kok KH, Wang D, Cai XH, Esko JD, Hung IF, Li RA, Chen H, Sun H, Jin DY, Sun R, Chanda SK, Yuen KY. Clofazimine broadly inhibits coronaviruses including SARS-CoV-2. Nature, 2021, doi: 10.1038/s41586-021-03431-4.
9. Wong LR, Ye ZW (co-first author), Lui PY, Zheng X, Yuan S, Zhu L, Fung SY, Yuen KS, Siu KL, Yeung ML, Cai Z, Woo PC, Yuen KY, Chan CP, Jin DY. Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus ORF8b Accessory Protein Suppresses Type I IFN Expression by Impeding HSP70-Dependent Activation of IRF3 Kinase IKKε. Journal of Immunology, 2020, doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.1901489.
10. Ye ZW, Yuan S, Poon KM, Wen L, Yang D, Sun Z, Li C, Hu M, Shuai H, Zhou J, Zhang MY, Zheng BJ, Chu H, Yuen KY. Antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity epitopes on the hemagglutinin head region of pandemic H1N1 Influenza virus play detrimental roles in H1N1-infected mice. Frontiers in Immunology, 2017, 8:317. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2017.00317

• Total > 60 (20 as first/co-first/corresponding author) publications in SCI-indexed journals.
• Link to full publication list: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=zi-wei+ye 

• 2023, Dalton Horizon Prize (Royal Society of Chemistry)
• 2023, Research Output Award (The University of Hong Kong)
• 2021, The Best Poster Award (Heath Research Symposium, The 10^th anniversary of the HMRF)
• 2018, Travel Award for 2018 World Science Life Conference (Beijing)